By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Raichur (Karnakata) : The Karnataka police have arrested two men so far for barging into the Dalit colony and attacking residents, which left three persons, including a pregnant woman, seriously injured in Turvihal village of Sindhanur Taluk.
The shocking incident allegedly occurred on Friday when a group of 50 upper caste men, equipped with rods and sharp weapons, attacked Dalit colony in Turvihal village. In addition with three persons who suffered serious injuries, 25 more persons sustained minor injury.
The pregnant woman, Huligemma, was rushed to Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences in Ballari after she started bleeding, and was later shifted to a hospital in Sindhanur where two injured persons are being treated. Police is looking after several accused who have absconded.
On Sunday evening the police arrested two persons, Gurjeppa and Hanumantha for committing the brutal attack. The arrest followed by the registration of FIR by Turvihal police nder Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 148 (rioting), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), of Indian Penal Code and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The Hindu reports that Turvihal police and residents said that an ‘upper caste’ youth accidently rammed his vegetable-laden goods carrier against a Dalit youth organisation’s signboard that carried B.R. Ambedkar’s photo on Thursday.
Next day, some Dalit youth associated with the organisation picked up an argument alleging that the act was deliberate. Enraged by this, 50 upper caste men attacked the Dalits.
The victims alleged that the attackers had warned that they would not be allowed to live in the village.
Meanwhile, another report states that following a counter-complaint lodged by one of the accused, the Turvihal police filed another FIR on Sunday against Dalit victims Shivaputrappa and others under Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 143 (unlawful assembly), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 504 (intentional insult and provocation for breaking public peace) of Indian Penal Code.
Peer Bhasha, central coordinator, Institute for Study of Social Sciences, alleged that the police were not serious in arresting the accused. “The Turvihal police are bending to the pressure of ‘upper caste’ men,” he said. He took serious exception to the registering of an FIR against the Dalit victims and termed it “blackmail tactics”.
“The attackers have lodged a complaint against the victims to blackmail them and the police entertained it. They will soon offer mutual withdrawal of cases. It is nothing but injustice to the Dalits who were brutally assaulted,” he said.